Swing



i July l, 1930 w. o. HARTMAN 1,768,905

sw`ING Filed June 1.3, 1929 /NV/Vroe; Mz, L /A n O. f/A RTM/1 Patented July' 1, 193

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFici:

WILLIAM HARTMAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIG-NOB TO 'WELGH-HART1VIAN GO.,

` OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI SWING Application led .Tune k13,

n v The object of my device is to makea swing intended more particularly forthev usev of children and infants. A further Objectis to make an inexpensive swing, onel that may be readily suspended at any particular place and 'one whichl yis collapsible and may' be folded to occupy very little space, one that lends itself, when in the collapsedk position, readily for storage and shipping. My swing comprises a pocket seat in which the child may sit .and provides a flexible back for` the support of the child when sitting in the swing. A

A further object is to provide a rectangular shaped frame for securing the main portion of the pocket seat, which' frame is made Vof one piece of wire 0r rod,`having'the ends secured together `at the front of the frame by means of a collar. A further object is to arcuate outwardly theframe in its rear 'portion, so that when the child is sitting, in the swing, his back will not come in contact with the frame, but only with the fabric back of the swing.

A still further object is to*` provide the swing with a-foot su port, which is secured to the main frame of) the pocket seat at its front corners,which front support is secured to the frame by means of webbing or other similar material,and has a coiled spring secured therein. There are twosuch coiled springs, one on' each side, andthevwebbing is adjustable as to length. The object- Vof the springs yor other resilient element ormaterial, is to prevent, the child from standing r up in the swingwith the danger of kfalling out of the swing. When the childattempts to stand on `the foot rest, ,the springs are elongated and the child is unable to stand up and lis forced to remain in'a seated position. Furthermore vthe foot rest beingresiliently secured to the main frame enables' the child, occupying the swing, to move' the foot rest up and down against the expansion and contraction of the resilient "elements, This movement of the childs legs is anfobject of interest to the child and causes it to be contented when sitting inthe swing, and enables the child to exercise its legs andprevent the` numbness in the legs when the legs l 1929'. ESe'rial N0. 370,491.l

remain stationary for too long a period, partion.

`A further Objectis to so'construct the main frame that `colored beadsor vother toys may `be secured in sliding engagement on the main frame, so as to be accessible to the child when seated in the swing.

Vith these and other objects in view my invention has relation to certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts as will'be hereinafter more fully `described, pointed out in the claims andillustrated in the drawing, in which y l Fig. l is afront elevation of my device. li`ig.` 2 is a plan view of the mainframe of my device, showing the pivotal jointure of the baclr frame and showing the means of 1 Fig. i is a sectional elevation ofthe collar the main frame Vin its ,used to join the ends; of the main frame, v showing the meansof securing the ends of the main frame therein. j

Numeral 5 designates the hook used to support my swing to a ceiling orv lintel, etc. To the hook 5 are secured fourffabricy cords 9, kthe free ends of which are secured to a rectangular supporting frame lO. At the front corners of the rectangular supporting frame laresecured the fabriccords .ll and at the rear corners of the rectangular supporting fra-me 10 are suspended the yrear fabric cords 12. 4Numeral.13 designatesthe main frame, which is substantially rectangular in shape, which isrnade` of one piece of Wire, tubing or a rod, etc., of any conventional cross section.` VA kcircular cross section is most comymon.` rllhe rearsides ofthe main frame 13 are arcuated as shown atlllc` Numerall designates a tubular collar, the

insidediameter of which is equal to the out-- side diameter ofthe rod forming the main frame@ In securing the ends of the main frame together, the ends are simplyv inserted into the collar 15 until they meet-and. then therein for the reception of the legs of the child occupying the swing. The rear wall 19 ofthe pocket seat 17 extends upwardly beyond'the upper edges of the other walls of the pocket seat. The sides of the pocket Vseat 17 are looped by stitching and the sides of the main frame 13 pass through the loops thus formed. On the front edge of the pocket seat 17 are stitched three loops 20, 21 and 22 in spaced relationship with each other. The front of the main frame extends through these loops,the ends being joined together by the tubular collar 15, as previously described. The tubular collar 15 is concealed by the loops 21. By these means the pocket seat 17 is secured to the main frame 13. It is to be particularly observed that the pocket seat 17 is not secured to the rear or arcuated side of the main framel 13. Colored beads or loops 23 are placed in sliding engagement onthe front rod of the main frame 13 between the loops 2O and 21 and between the loops 21 and 22. In assembling, the rod forming the main frame is bent in its middle to be arcuated as at 14, the ends are bent at right angles (substantially) as shown in Fig. 2 and passed through the side loops of the pocket seat 17 thev ends being then bent at right angles tolward each other, as shown in Fig. 2 and passed through the loops 2O and 22, thatis, one end passes through the former and the other through the latter. The beads 23 are then slid over the rod and the tubular collar 15 placed in the loop 21 with the ends of the rod of the main frame placed in contact. The annular depressions are then made in the tubular collar 15 and the ends df the rods of the main frame 13within the tubular collar 15 and the assemblage is completed.

Numeral 24 designates the rear wall frame. The tops and sides of the rear wall 19 have stitched loops formed thereon. The rear wall frame 24 is made of a rod or tubing similar to the construction of the main frame 13. The rear `wall frame 24 passes through the three loops ofthe rear wall 19, its central portion forming the Ytop and its ends forming the sides. The freeends of the rear wall frame Y24 have the hooks 25 formed thereon, which hooks Aengage the rear corners of the main frame 13. By these means the rear wall frame 24 isrotatively secured to the main frame 13. The free ends of the front fabric cords 11 are secured to the front corners of the main frame 13 and the free ends of the rear fabric cords 12 are oined to the upper corners of the rear wall frame 24. The front Vfabric cords are longer than the rear fabric cords 12, so that when the swing as thus far described is sus# pended from the hook 5, the main frame 13 will be in a horizontal plane and the rear wall frame 24 will be in a substantially Vertical frame.

Numeral 26 designates the foot rest, which is a rectangular board of proper size' for a child and of the length of the width of the main frame 13. To the foot rest 26 is secured the webbing 27 and 28, one strip on each side. The webbing 27 and 28 is secured to the lower sides of the foot rest 26, the ends passing up and over the sidesof the foot rest 26. The endsl pass upwards through the ends of the springs '29 and 30 and terminate in the buckles 31 and 32, the buckle 31 being at tached to the webbing 27 andthe buckle 32 being attached to the webbing 28. By means of these buckles and the webbing, the distance between the foot rest 26 and the lower ends of the springs may be varied. In ordei` to keep the webbing on each side together a rivet may be inserted into the webbing immediately beneath the buckles. To the upper end of the spring 29 is secured the webbing 33, to. the upper end of the spring 30 is secured the webbing 34'. The upper end of the webbing 33 is secured to the one front corner of the main frame 13 and the upper end of the webbing 34v is secured to the other front corner of the main frame 13. By these means the foot rest 26 is suspended from the front side of the main frame 13, so that the foot rest will be suspended in a horizontal plane. By means of the buckles 31 and 32, the distance from the foot rest 26 to the plane of the main frame may be adjusted.

It will be seen that when the child, that is sitting in the swing, attempts to stand up on the foot rest 26, that his attempt will be futile, lbecause the weight of his body is placed on the foot rest 26, it will extend the springs 29 and 30, so vthat he will have no support to raise himself out of the pocket seat 17. `The plane of the foot rest 26 will normally be such a distance from the plane of the main frame 13, that the child when in the seated position, will be able to push down on Vthe foot rest 26 against the force 0f the springs 29 and 30, the springs will return the rfoot rest to the normal position. This raction of the child in pushing against the foot rest 26 and the action of the springs in returning the foot rest to its normal position, will require muscular effort and movement on the part of the childs legs. This 'eort and movement provides the exercising feature for the childs legs.

It will be observed that the toys or beads 23 are secured to the main frame 13, so as to be always visible and easily accessible to the child when seated in the swing. It will also be observed that by the construction indicated that these beads areeasily and simply placed in position on the main frame 13.

It willbe observed also that when the child is sitting in the pocket seat 17, with his back against the rear frame 19, that there will be no contact between his body and the arcuated portion ofthe main frame 13. This is a great advantage because the lack of such contact makes the seat more comortable for the child. If the rear portion of the main frame 13, that is arcuated in my construction, ismade straight there will then be a contact between the childs body and this frame portionto the great discomfort of the occupant of the swing. Furthermore, if the main frame 13 does not have a rear element such as the arcuated portion 14:, the weight of the child in they swing will cause the sides of the main frame to be bent inwardly at the rear corners against the body of the childto the great discomfort of the child. It is necessary, therefore, to have positive means to prevent the rear ends of the main frame 13 from being distended inwardly from the childs weight.

What I claim and mean to secure by Letters Patent is:

- 1. In a device of the character described,

a seat comprising fa seat pocket havingk a rearward extension above the upper edges of the other walls of the pocket, a main frame having an externally arcuated rear member, a back frame pivotally secured to said main frame, said seat pocket secured to said main frame and its rearward extension secured to said back frame.

2. In a device of the character described, a sea-t comprising a seat pocket having a rearward extension above the upper edges of the other walls of the pocket, a main frame having an externally arcuated rear member, a

back frame pivotally secured to said main frame, said seatpocket secured to said main yframe and its rearward extension secured t0 said back frame, the free ends of said main frame selectively secured in the front of said frame.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM O. HARTMAN. 

